Unlike last season, Javi Gomez de Liano’s push to improve came from within.
After playing with Marinerong Pilipino last season, the fourth-year forward decided to work on his physical conditioning during the off-season before the UAAP Season 82 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
“In January or February, I noticed talaga na I was really overweight, and that really affected my game,” the 20-year-old.
“I was really slow, I wasn’t making my shots. So I had to discipline myself, have a good diet, eat healthy, and work out.”
Besides a good diet, Gomez de Liano also went under the tutelage of upstart skills coach Patrick Tancioco. There, he joined Juan Gomez de Liano, UST’s CJ Cansino, and FEU’s L-Jay Gonzales to work on his explosiveness and form.
“I feel quicker. I’ve been working on that talaga. Coach Pat from Better Basketball has been helping me out.
“I have to give credit also to my teammates ’cause iron sharpens iron. Sobrang galing ng teammates ko, so that helps me become a better player,” he continued.
During UP’s season-debut against the FEU Tamaraws, Gomez De Liano displayed his fine form. He finished with a team-high 22 points on an efficient 10-of-16 shooting clip to go along with six rebounds and three steals.
According to head coach Bo Perasol, the Fighting Maroons badly needed Gomez de Liano’s, since they struggled during the latter stages of their 61-55 conquest of FEU.
“That’s what we really wanted to happen. The way Javi played, we were fortunate he was able to get high percentage shots. Without that we wouldn’t have won the game,” Perasol said.
“The key to our campaign was our bench. Given na yan.”
Feeling lighter, Gomez de Liano is not planning to stop anytime soon saying, “I’m still on a diet right now, actually, because I feel I can do a lot more pa.”
